Pranks
by AggresiveFangirling
Summary: It all started with a small prank, but when James has teased and annoyed Lily too much for her to bare, the small prank turns into a war. Lily makes up her mind to get back at him. What will this lead to? They've been enemies since the first term, but could this change things between them? Could a spark be ignited?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hey everyone, this is my first LilyxJames fanfic, so bear with me please! Lol, hope you like it! xx_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter *sobs*…and sadly I never will… *cries into shirt*_

 _Other notes: This is James and Lily's fourth year._

* * *

"Ramona!" Lily exclaimed, jumping out of the Hogwarts express and flinging herself onto her friend, hugging her tightly.

Ramona, her best friend since the first year, jumped in surprise before hugging her back, "Lily," she said, smiling at her, "Where were you? I couldn't find you on the train,"

Lily frowned, "Sorry, the whole train was full and the only place empty was with those idiots," she told Ramona, clenching her teeth and jerking her shoulder towards James, Sirius and Remus who were getting out of the train, laughing at some prank they'd done, "I'd much rather have sat with some Slytherin,"

Ramona returned the disgusted frown, "Ugh, those boys are idiots," she agreed, linking her arm with Lily's, "Come on, let's sit together in the boats," she added with a smile.

Lily grinned, and the two girls broke into a fast run, as they slipped through gaps between people and laughed together.

Lucky for Lily, she didn't have to deal with James anymore, and she, Ramona and Remus had one boat to themselves.

Remus was also a pretty good friend of Lily's, even though he was also very good friends with James. He had messy light brownish hair, which was hardly ever combed neatly, and gray eyes.

Lily had a feeling that Ramona was very glad that he was in the boat with them because she had a feeling that Ramona had a crush on Lupin. He was attractive, but Lily only thought of him as a friend. Besides, he wasn't very talkative and outgoing in front of girls, rather shy instead.

* * *

Lily sat on the huge chair in the Gryffindor common room, fully absorbed in a book, without a care of what was going on outside her world.

Suddenly, someone yanked on her hair, making her yelp and drop the book on the floor, anger in her eyes as she scanned the room for the culprit.

"Potter!" she exclaimed, "What is your _problem_?"

James shrugged, "I was bored, and you looked rather interested in this book," he said, grinning as he bent down and held the book boredly between his finger tips, keeping it out of Lily's reach.

"Potter!" Lily glared, "Give it back!" she shouted, reaching out of it, but only to feel air pass through her hands.

"Na un, Evans," James teased, "You want this?"

Lily slid off her chair, feeling the cold air on her feet as she power-walked over to James, and whipped out her wand, then quickly put it under his chin, tilting her head and glaring up at him, "Give. It. To. Me," she repeated through gritted teeth.

James chuckled, "You wouldn't," he said, grinning at her, still holding the book up.

"I would," Lily replied, pushing the wand into his chin. By now, the whole room was looking at them quietly, in amusement and interest. Lily and James' fights were always entertaining, and everyone was staring at them.

"But I'm not going to," Lily said, pulling her wand back and tucking it into her robe. This wasn't some show, and she didn't like it when the other students watched it as such. She quickly tiptoed and snatched it out of James' hand, shooting him a glare before walking back to the couch and pulling herself onto it again.

"10 sickles she's gonna hex him next time," A Gryffindor said to another in a low voice, who nodded and grinned.

Lily rolled her eyes at them, and then glanced at her side to see Ramona lightly giggling, "What?" she demanded, her only reply more giggles from Ramona.

* * *

A week passed by, and Lily was very glad to know that there were no more pranks from James Potter, but alas, it had to come.

"Potter!"

The Marauders looked up from their breakfast in the hall, to see a very indignant and fuming red head storming towards them. Remus's eyes widened and he looked at her, then spun around to look at James, realizing that he must've pulled another prank on her.

James acted like he didn't see her, while the other three boys stared at her head. There were two, thick, black horns sticking out of her red hair.

"What?" James asked innocently, his lips twitching slightly, "Oh that? It's just to remind you about who you are, agreed, boys?"

Remus didn't say anything, but Sirius chuckled lightly and Pettigrew said, very helpfully, "Ah, yes, a she-devil, just like Evans,"

This made Lily's cheeks burn in embarrassment and anger, "Would you just tell me how to remove it? So I am able to get rid of this horrid spell?" she fumed, her hands on her slim waist as her green eyes bore into James' hazel ones.

"Now we would I do that?" James mused, smirking at Lily.

"You are going to regret this, Potter," Lily hissed at him, poking him in the chest on emphasis, "Mark my words,"

Sirius laughed outright, "And the match begins," he whispered in a teasing tone to Remus, but stopping abruptly at the icy look Lily shot him.

She glared at James once again, then spun around on her heel and stormed out of the hall, muttering something about killing James.

* * *

 _This is gon' be gooood! Who's team are you on? I'm #TeamLily on this one lol._

 _See ya soon,  
Thefanster outtt!_


	2. Chapter 2

_How'd you like the last chapter? This is gonna be f-un! I'm gonna torture James, lol, the perks of being the author, am I right? Not as long as the last chapter, but it's gettin' goood! Enjoy!_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter_

* * *

The next morning, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter didn't see Lily at breakfast. At night they'd gone to bed, laughing at the prospect of Lily trying to get back at them, or "make them regret" what they'd done, because Lily Evans hardly ever did anything out of line, and certainly never broke the rules.

But the next morning, James had a weird feeling that maybe something would happen.

"What's the matter, Prongs? You look rather anxious," Sirius commented, shoving down pancakes at a very high speed, then chugging down a glass of milk.

"I am not!" James replied slowly, keeping his eyes on the hall door, waiting for Lily to come.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, "Ohhh…" he continued, in realization, "Someone scared?" he teased.

James scoffed, "Ha! As if," he said, rolling his eyes and turning to his friends, "That wimp wouldn't be able to do something if she tried,"

* * *

"Lily, where are you?" Ramona pondered, walking through the aisles of the library, her eyes scanning the whole place as she looked for her friend, her head turning in all directions.

"Lily!" she exclaimed, walking over to a desk where her friend was sitting, her head buried in a book, and there were a large amount of scrolls, papers and spell books next to her.

Lily still did not look up, her eyes were glued to the words, and her nose buried into the book. Ramona rolled her eyes, and put a hand on Lily's shoulder, giving it a little shake, "Lily!" she said more severely.

Lily started, and then looked up at her friend, "Don't _do_ that!" she exclaimed, clearly not understanding that Ramona had repeated herself a couple of times already. This earned another eye roll from Ramona.

"I've been looking all over for you," Ramona stated, crossing her arms and eyeing all the books with curiosity and amusement, "Where were you at breakfast?"

Lily felt a small grin creep up her lips, "I've already had breakfast, I had it early in the morning," she stated, "And….I'm…."

Ramona's eyes lit up, "You're what?" she asked, seeing the mischief shining in Lily's eyes, "Lily," she continued slowly, as Lily looked guilty.

"Well, I'm sort of, maybe, a little –"

"Spit it out, already!" Ramona cut in, a grin on her face.

"I've had enough with Potter and his friends' pranks, so I've decided to prank them myself!" Lily said breathlessly, "You saw how awful it was for me yesterday, everyone laughed, so I'm getting those nitwits back,"

Ramona's grin widened, she slid beside Lily, whose eyes widened in surprise, "What're we doing?" she asked, mischievously.

"We…?" Lily asked, in confusion, before a smirk returned to her face, "Let's do this,"

* * *

The next morning, everything was going wrong for James. He woke up late, when it was almost eight, and saw that everyone was already gone. Cursing, he slid off bed and struggled to put the bed clothes neatly on his bed, but the sheets just wouldn't stay in place.

James groaned, then grabbed the sheet with his hand, and flung himself onto the bed, holding tightly to one of the legs, as he tucked it in tightly. Sighing in relief, he sat upright on it, "Finally," he muttered.

Suddenly, the sheets sprung out, and flung James off the bed and onto the floor. He fell off the bed with a loud thud, his eyes wide in surprise.

" _What_ just happened?!"

He looked in confusion, "Forget it," he muttered under his breath, "This is…uh..neat enough," he added, glancing at the untidy bed.

A ring from the bell indicated that breakfast was almost over, and James ran to get ready. For some mysterious reason, his glasses seemed to be missing from his bed side table where he usually kept them.

He frowned, and spent a few moments searching desperately for them. He found them covered in dust under his bed, and took them out, a look of confusion on his face when he found them.

When James ran into the great hall, he found his friends eating there.

Remus looked up, "Where were you, Prongs? Transfiguration starts in five minutes!" he scolded, as James slid beside Sirius and quickly bit into an apple.

"You wouldn't believe what happened," James said, swallowing his huge bite, "This strange thing happened to me this morning,"

Sirius snorted, "Strange? What? It's not like you slept in," he teased.

James ignored his best friend, "Never mind, it's probably nothing," he pondered. Remus shrugged, and the boy's continued their morning routine without any more problems.

As he was eating, James' eyes accidentally looked above Sirius' bent head, and he saw Lily, looking at him from the Ravenclaw table, where she and Ramona had sat down with some other friends. He thought he saw her smirk at him, before act like she never looked his way.

"Did you see that?!" James exclaimed, spinning around to look at his friends.

"What?" Peter asked, looking around.

Remus looked amused, "Something happen?" he queried, a smirk on his face.

"I just saw… never mind," James' confused voice trailed off, just as Sirius put his hand on his forehead and asked him if he was feeling all right.

* * *

Lily giggled, and Ramona turned to look at her with a confused expression, "Quiet, idiot!" she hissed, elbowing Lily in the stomach, "You'll give it all away,"

Lily pressed her lips together, but her whole body still shook in laughter. A smile tugged on Ramona's lips, "What happened?" she asked in a low voice, following Lily's gaze to where the boys were sitting.

"You should've seen his face," Lily choked, still shaking with laughter and merriment.

"Aww, I missed it," Ramona whined.

"Don't worry, this is _just_ the beginning," Lily said, evilly, a smirk rising to her face and her laughter turning into chuckles.

* * *

 _Yeah, just the beginning. Lily, you took the words right out of my mouth. ;)_

'Mysterious' my butt. I'm sure it's mysterious, James. Note the sarcasm. -_-

 _See ya,  
thefanster out!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Author's note: This chapter is longer than the other two combined, and I didn't post it earlier 'cause I was still editing, and making it better! Enjoy, y'all! ;)_**

 ** _Other notes: Extremely cute. Trust me. I was all grins while writing it!_**

 ** _S (guest): Yeah, I got the reference! XD_**

* * *

"Switch to page 346, please," McGonagall said, looking at the whole class. There was a ruffling sound of papers, as the students opened their books.

The sound soon subsided, but James Potter was still messing around with his book.

"Mr. Potter, page 346," Professor McGonagall repeated, peering at him from above her glasses, clearly not amused.

"I am, Professor," James replied, as all eyes turned to him, "But the book isn't opening,"

"Isn't opening?" McGonagall repeated with a very annoyed tone, "I don't want to hear any of your excuses or pranks, today, Potter," she said severely, "Open it, and stop with these excuses at once,"

James frowned, and put his hand to the cover of his book, trying to open it again, but the book was slammed just, as if glued there.

Professor McGonagall, clearly having enough of this nonsense, stalked over from her desk, "Here, give it to me, Potter," she ordered, holding her hand out.

She put one hand to the cover, and pulled at it, but it was clearly stuck firm. She frowned, and turned to James, "Is this one of your excuses, Potter? Are you trying to get out of class?" she said, her eyes narrowing.

James shook his head, "Honest, Professor," he said, "I didn't do anything,"

"Hmmm," McGonagall muttered, then tapped it three times and said some spell which opened it. As soon as the cover flung open, some sort of weird slime oozed out, and sprayed got sprayed on McGonagall, and James both.

James' face turned from confusion to horror as he tried to get the sticky goo off himself, "Gross," he muttered.

When he looked back up and McGonagall, her face was red with anger, "Detention after class, Potter,"

"But-"

"Not buts," she cut in, "I've had enough of these,"

James muttered something under his breath, and slid down in his chair, a scowl on his face. The classroom erupted in nudges and giggles, making James go red in the face with embarrassment.

On the other side of the classroom, Lily and Ramona fist bumped each other under the table, "Not what we planned," Ramona whispered, fighting back giggles.

"But this is even better," Lily cut in, her whole face twitching as she tried to control herself from laughing outright.

* * *

When James came back to the dormitory after his detention, he found Lily and Ramona sitting together on a chair, huddled up together as they whispered in each other's ears. When he entered, Lily turned to him with an innocent look, but James could've sworn he saw evil flash in her eyes before she turned back to Ramona.

He shrugged it off as her teasing him about his one hour detention, and went over to the fireplace where Sirius and Remus were sitting.

"What was that?" Sirius asked, a confused look on his face.

"What was what?" James said, sliding down next to his friends. Sirius looked at him earnestly, "In class, what did you do to your book,"

A smirk rose to Remus' face, and a snicker escaped his lips, which he quickly covered with a cough.

"I don't know," James replied, a scowl on his face, "It's been happening all day, weird things," he added, in anger and confusion.

"Maybe McGonagall cursed him," Sirius added, very unsympathetically, in a spooky tone. James and Remus rolled their eyes at his antics.

"Whatever it is, it probably won't happen again," James said slowly.

"Remus!"

The three boys turned around to see Lily standing above them, "Could you come here for a moment?" she asked, looking pointedly at Remus.

"What do you need him for?" James asked suspiciously. Remus put a hand on his shoulder, "Nothing, mate," he said, getting up, "I'll be right back, okay?" he added, walking away with Lily to where Ramona was sitting.

James didn't look convinced, but as Remus never really did anything bad, he shrugged it off and began listening to Sirius as he dove into the subject of pixies, and what not.

"Thanks for not blowing our cover," Lily said, smiling at Remus as he sat down next to Ramona.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Remus smiled back at her, "The look on his face," he added, starting to snicker, but Ramona quickly put a hand on his mouth, giving him a look, telling him not to blow their cover.

"Right, sorry," Remus apologized quickly, as Ramona pulled back, a blush on her face. Remus' face was also red, and Lily chuckled lightly at them.

"We need help for the next thing," Lily said presently, "Could you….?"

Remus cringed, "I don't know, Lily," he said thoughtfully, "Aren't these pranks enough, James is my friend too, you know,"

Lily nodded eagerly, "All the more why you can prank him," she returned, giving him a pleading look.

"Fine," Remus sighed, "What is it?" he asked, his eyes lighting up again.

* * *

At dinner, Lily sat between Remus and Ramona, eager to get a peek of what would happen. James and Sirius were opposite the two, and Peter was missing somewhere.

"Could you pass me the orange juice?" James asked, trying to reach for a glass of orange juice. Sirius nodded, and was about to him, when Remus quickly reached out and took the jug.

"I'll get it," he said, smiling at James, as Lily smuggled to him some poly-juice potion.

James grinned, "Always count on Moony when you need something," he praised, and Remus felt guilty as he quickly poured the poly-juice potion, and covered it up with orange juice.

He handed it to James, and watched guiltily as his friend chugged it down. Lily nudged Ramona, and the two secretly watched James as well.

Suddenly, James spit his juice back into the cup, making the people near him, back away in disgust, and wonder what just happened.

His face turned green, and it looked like he was going to throw up.

Without a word of explanation, James slapped a hand on his mouth and fled from the great hall, leaving a very baffled Sirius, a guilty Remus, and two giggly girls behind.

Lily clutched her stomach, and laughed until tears came out of her green eyes, and Ramona was the same.

Sirius was too shocked and surprised to go after his friend, and glanced from the laughing girls to Remus, then back again.

"What just happened?" he demanded, his face darting between the three.

"His face," Lily choked, leaning on Ramona for support, "Priceless," Ramona agreed, clutching her stomach in attempt to stop laughing.

After a few moments, the two girls recovered, and Remus began explaining what happened to Sirius, looking even guiltier than ever.

Sirius chuckled, "Maybe you're not so bad, after all," he said to Lily, earning a smile from her. He got up to go after James, but the bell rang and students were told to go back to their dormitories.

"He'll probably be there right now," Remus said, as he, Sirius and the two girls went upstairs. But James wasn't there.

They all sat in the Gryffindor common room together, and Lily started to like Sirius. He began liking her when he found out that she wasn't such a goody-two shoes, and laughed and talked with her.

"I'm gonna go find James," Lily said, feeling the prank when too far, and she should go get him now.

Remus' eyes almost popped out of his head, "You're gonna go get _James_?" he said disbelievingly, his hands doing some weird motion.

" _You,_ " Ramona repeated, baffled.

Sirius whistled, "Well the world's coming to an end," he said, grinning at me.

Lily rolled her eyes, "It's just to go see how he is, and _where_ he is," she said, shrugging.

"Someone sounds…hmm…I dunno _worried_ ," Sirius teased, winking at me.

Lily rolled her eyes again, "As if," she snorted, waving to Ramona once before walking out of the room. Lily made sure no one was there, and then ran to the great hall. No one was there except Filch, who was talking to Professor McGonagall.

"Where could he be?" she muttered, now feeling guilty. A thought came into her clever mind, and she took off for the first floor, bounding up stairs and running through the empty halls.

"I hope I don't regret this," Lily mumbled, looking at the door of the first floor girl's bathroom, the place where Moaning Myrtle lived, with disgust. She pushed open the door, and gasped when she saw a huge cat looking back at her, _standing_ on it's legs and staring at her with surprise.

"Evans?" the cat said uncertainly. Lily was too shocked for words, her mouth still open, she backed a few steps, pressing herself to the door.

"Who…are you?" Lily questioned, her green eyes still wide.

The cat frowned, then a smirk rose to it's face, strangely like the smirk James always had on his face, Lily thought.

"James?!" she gasped, "Why're you….oh…" her voice trailed off again, "The poly-juice potion.."

"The what? Can you call Sirius? Who the bloody hell turned me into this?" the cat, James Potter, said, pointing to himself, a look on disgust replacing the smirk.

Lily felt a small smile creep up her lips, "Don't you wish," she said in a teasing tone, crossing her arms, and leaning coolly against the door, her knee coming up as she rested on foot against the door.

"Just do it…." James' voice trailed off, and for some strange reason, he found himself staring at Lily. She looked pretty, her red hair falling off her shoulder, and going till her waist. And the way she was leaning against the door, it looked kind of cute-

'- _What the hell am I thinking?"_ James' senses cut in his thoughts, and his eyes widened when he saw her smirking at him, _'Stupid teenage hormones,'_ James cursed, inwardly hoping lily hadn't noticed his short reverie.

"You were saying," she said in a teasing tone, the smirk stuck firmly on her smug looking face. She had caught him staring, who wouldn't have, and was having a good time herself, putting aside the light blush that had crept up her cheeks.

"I..uh," James stammered, unable to say anything at the moment. He was usually the one making girls stammer, and blush, but how on earth did this girl make _him_ do that? No girl had ever made him feel this way.

Lily began to feel a little uncomfortable, and decided to get him out of his embarrassed state, "I gave you a little poly-juice potion, so this will probably wear off in around an hour," she stated, walking up to him.

James' eyes widened, "Poly-juice potion? How did you make – hey! You turned me into this!" he demanded, cutting off his first sentence and glaring at Lily.

Lily grinned back at him, "Told you I'd make you regret it," she laughed, her green eyes dancing with merriment.

James frowned, and opened his mouth to shoot something back at her, but stopped in the middle. He had been wrong, she actually did get back at him, and as much as it stung to be pranked, when he was the prankster himself, it was kind of cool that she actually made him "regret it".

And something else stopped him from arguing, when she laughed, it wasn't forced or too giggly like most girls' laughed, it was short and sweet, and he liked it. It was so different, and the way she smiled was so beautif-

'- _Again, Potter?!"_ James thought, inwardly scolding himself, _'What the heck are you doing? Get a hold of yourself,'_

In his mind, he could almost _hear_ Sirius laughing and saying, " _Oooh, Prongsie is in love!"_

Lily quirked an eyebrow at him, "Are you okay?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Uh, yes, I am!" James said quickly, bursting out of his thoughts, "Poly-juice potion….er…has these..side affects," he lied, making Lily's eyebrow arch itself higher, "…that make you…dizzy!" he finished triumphantly.

"Mmhmm," Lily said, blinking slowly, "Clearly it does," she added, teasingly.

James blushed red, and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Ooooh! I'm _sure_ people get dizzy,"

Lily and James spun around and saw Myrtle fly towards them. James inwardly hoped she'd tell one of her sad stories instead of saying that he was flustered, not dizzy.

"Myrtle," Lily cursed, looking straight at the ghost.

"I remember getting dizzy before I…died!" Myrtle said sorrowfully, in the dramatic way she was so good at.

Lily fought back the urge to roll her eyes at Myrtle, knowing that it would only make her even sadder. She turned to look at James, who was smirking at her annoyed figure, "What?" she snapped at him, making him chuckle.

James usually would've been annoyed at Myrtle, but right now he was so glad that the loud mouth wanted to talk about herself, not about him.

"Let's sit down somewhere," Lily said, "This won't wear off any time soon," she added, taking out her wand and muttering some spell which made a bench out of splinters of wood which were lying around.

James followed her slowly, and sat down next to her on the bench, "So, I take it you did all those spells on me today,"

Lily grinned, "Yes, I did," she replied, and dove into the subject of how she and Ramona had cast those charms.

While the boys were still asleep last night, the two girls had crept up to their dormitory, and quietly whispered the charm which made the sheets spring out every time they were tucked in. While they were at it, Ramona suggested that they also hide his glasses, so to make it for annoying.

For the classroom scene, they'd used goo powder, as Lily liked to call it. A sort of liquid-power that as soon as it was touched, it would explode.

Lily had spent the last morning searching through books for reactions, and spells, and had finally experimented the weird mixture of charms in the bathroom with Ramona, which resulted in Ramona gets sprayed with the goo, then going off at Lily for the next hour.

The last one was the hardest, because Lily had to steal some poly-juice potion from the potion master, and it could've resulted in detention. But she sneakily went in after class was over, and tipped some of the liquid into a small bag, then ran out, almost getting caught.

" _You_ stole poly-juice potion!?" James exclaimed in shock, "And you snuck out after bed for the sheet-spell-charm-thingy,"

Lily nodded sheepishly, a grin on her face, "Judged me too quickly, didn't you, Potter?" she teased, laughing at his shocked face.

James nodded slowly, a grin tugging on his lips as he looked at the laughing girl in front of him.

"Potter!" Lily exclaimed suddenly, breaking into his thoughts, "Only your arm has fur on it!" she said, grinning, "We should be able to go now, only be careful,"

James sighed in relief, "Finally," he groaned, moving his legs and getting up to his feet. Lily slid off after him, giving him a smile. A smile that took his breath away.

"Y'know, Lily," James said, calling her with her first name, not her sir-name as he usually did. Lily noticed this, because her smile widened, "I'm starting to like you," James continued, a flush rising to his face.

"You too," Lily returned, walking over to the door and opening it, "but, remember this," she said pointing dramatically at his furry arm, "The she-devil will continue to haunt you in your dreams," Lily smirked at him, slipping outside with a mock salute.

James grinned to himself, "Haunt me all you like," he said, dreamily, running outside to catch up with her.

* * *

 _ **Urghhh the fluff! It's too much! *puts arm over head dramatically***_

 _ **"Haunt me all you like," Someone's in love! Lucky that Lily didn't hear him or he'd melt. XD**_

 **QUESTION: SHOULD I CONTINUE THIS? I CAN STOP HERE, BUT I CAN ALSO CONTINUE THE FLUFF. TELL ME QUICK, OR I'LL PROBABLY NOT BE CONTINUING THIS!**

 ** _Peace,  
Thefanster out!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_Heyy y'all! I'm glad you guys liked this, and I will be continuing it! But **read the 'other notes' part.**_

 _Disclaimer: I don't own - uh hello? Do I look like JK Rowling to you?_

 _Other notes: Fast forward to the end of the term. Exams got done a week ago, and now they're about to go home for summer holidays. (Easter, Christmas and Halloween are also over). James and Lily are friends now._

 _Also, I won't really be doing the holidays, 'cause there isn't much to say._

 _Hope you like it!_

* * *

"Ramona! Ramona!" Lily called, running into the girls' dormitory, which was completely empty, as everyone was outside, "Where are you…" Lily's voice trailed off, as she looked around.

Shaking her head quickly, Lily grabbed her coat which was still on her bed, then spun around and ran down stairs, looking at the empty Gryffindor common room.

"I'm going to miss this place," she muttered sadly, a smile on her face as she glanced around the room. Suddenly there were footsteps, and someone ran through the portrait and into the common room, and accidentally collided head first into Lily, not having seen her there.

Lily fell to the floor with a thud, dropping her coat in the process, and a squeal escaped her lips.

"Potter!" she exclaimed, "Watch where you're going," she pushed herself up again, and saw James Potter do the same, his face flushed in embarrassment when he realized that he'd fallen on top of Lily.

A cheeky grin made it's way on his face, "Sorry, Evans," he apologized, helping her up again, and bending down to gather up her coat.

Lily's eyes widened in surprise, "Thanks," she muttered, as he handed her the coat with a smile.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, but stood there, almost staring at each other. James cleared his throat, "Uhh…" he stammered, "Your friend, Ramona, was it? She's looking for you," he said, breaking the now awkward silence.

Lily nodded, a little too fast, "T-thanks, I was looking for her," she said, walking to the exit, James following her.

The two of them ran down the many moving stairs, breathless as they arrived at the great hall where many of the students were gathered.

"Lily!"

Lily turned and saw Ramona running over to her, and squeezing her into a tight hug. She hugged her friend back, "No tears," she warned, as Ramona pulled back, a sad smile on her face.

"I can't believe this year's already over," Ramona sighed, "It was rather exciting, don't you agree?"

"Yes, it was nice," Lily said, biting her lip, "I just hope I pass the exams," she added, earning a laugh from Ramona.

"Christmas and easter passed so fast," Lily added, "The year's already over…" she repeated, a thoughtful frown rising to her face.

Ramona nodded earnestly, "It's over, and you haven't gotten together with Potter yet," she said, a smirk tugging on her lips, ' _I had to add that,'_ she thought, evilly.

"Ramona!" Lily shouted, pushing her arm, and moving away from her friend, a glare on her face as Ramona gave her a sheepish smile.

"What are yelling about, Lily?" Remus asked, walking over to her, a wary smile on his face.

Ramona opened her mouth to triumphantly reply, but it clamped shut when Lily beat her to it, "Oh nothing much," she said, "We were only talking about Ramona and…ahem..you," she lied, not wanting to reply about Potter, and this would be good way to get back at Ramona.

Remus and Ramona turned red in embarrassment, "Evans!" Ramona exclaimed, then turning to Remus she stammered, "W-we weren't, she c-crazy,"

Lily didn't listen much, but she cheekily winked at Ramona, and then slipped away before Ramona could unleash her lecture.

"So, what are you planning to do this summer?" James asked Lily, as she walked over to where he and Sirius stood.

Lily shrugged, "Nothing much, I guess," she said, frowning, "I guess I'll be with my parents most of the time. What about you?" she asked, looking at Sirius, then back at James.

"We are," Sirius replied, "I'm staying at James' house until the next term," he added with a grin, looking eager.

"You two must have fun," Lily laughed, a sad smile coming to her face as she remembered that her holidays might not be too fun because Petunia hardly talked to her now.

"Are you…okay?" James asked her, uncertainly, glancing at Sirius for help.

Lily forced a smile, "I'm fine," she replied, but she knew James and Sirius both saw pass that.

After a little while, Dumbledore gave a small speech, and then all the students followed Hagrid out to the train station, where the Hogwarts Express stood waiting.

"Ugh, she ditched me again," Lily groaned, as she tiptoed to glance over the heads of the students who were walking ahead of her.

Lily had forgotten something, and when she came back, instead of being the front of the line where she usually was, she had to walk at the back.

"Evans! Wait up!"

Lily spun around and saw Sirius and James running breathlessly towards her. She rose an eyebrow at them, "Late again?" she asked, as they all walked towards the station.

"Says the girl who is at the end," James shot back at her, grinning at her.

"Do you want to sit with us?" Sirius asked, "Ramona could come too. It'll only be me, James and Remus, so there's space,"

Lily shrugged, "Alright," she said, smiling at Sirius.

"Race you to Hagrid," James suddenly exclaimed, taking off at top speed, followed by Sirius.

Lily rolled her eyes at them, "Boys," she muttered, watching them tear through gaps.

"Come on, Evans!" she heard James call. She bit her lip, glancing around before running off after them, inwardly vowing never to do so again.

When she got inside the train, she walked breathlessly down the aisle, looking around for their compartment.

She saw James and Sirius ahead of her, and ran to catch up with them. She put a hand on James' shoulder, making him jump in surprise, then spin around and grin at her.

"I'm..never…doing..that…again," Lily panted, unconsciously leaning on James for support.

"Shhh," James hissed, pointing to the compartment where Sirius was sneakily peeking into. Lily walked a little closer, and saw Remus and Ramona in the middle of a very awkward but still nice conversation.

"Let's find another compartment," Sirius proposed, earning a nod from Lily, and a groan from James.

The three finally found one, and they sat down, Sirius on one side with his huge suitcase, and James and Lily on the other. She leaned comfortably against the seat, and watched the boys talk head-on for ages without stopping.

Putting her coat near her head as a pillow, she silently looked at them, her eyes blinking slowly. Before knowing it, her eyes drooped, and she fell asleep.

* * *

 _Updates will be fast, but I need a constant reminder and motivation. XD_

 _See ya soon,  
_ _Thefanster out!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey you guysss! New update!_

 _I have a question, was the last chapter bad or something...? Please tell me if it was, so I can fix it! No hard feelings, I promise! ;)_

 _Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, so no, I don't own Harry Potter_  
 _Warning: Extreme cringe worthy and fluff ahead!_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

"Oooh, getting cozy, my dear Prongsie?" Sirius teased, breaking off their conversation and eyeing Lily as she chose to lean against James instead of the couch.

James turned red, "Shut up," he told Sirius, "It's not like that,"

"Sure it's not," Sirius said sarcastically, lifting both eyebrows in satisfaction as James turned even redder.

"We're j-just friends, don't be stupid," James said, his voice slightly shaky as Sirius took in the fact that James' arm had slid off the side of the seat onto Lily's shoulder, and he was holding her close to him.

"Well, I'm gonna go get Moony," Sirius exclaimed, jumping up and earning a hiss from James, who pointed at the sleeping Lily. A smirk made it's way onto Sirius' face, "Yes, and I do believe I should leave you two alone, eh Prongsie?"

James rolled her eyes, but his face flushed even redder as Lily snuggled into him, unconsciously, of course. Sirius snickered as he slipped out of the compartment, laughing to himself how they'd by getting together in no time.

* * *

"Lily, wake up,"

Lily groaned, and she shut her eyes tighter, and snuggled into her pillow, "Go away," she muttered.

"Lily, get up, come on," the voice said again, "Aren't you going to have lunch,"

Lily tried to ignore it, but the voice kept coming, "Lils, get _up_ ,"

The young witch shot up, and glared at the person who was trying to wake her up. She opened her mouth to start scolding James, when she realized that she wasn't leaning on the pillow, rather on _him_.

Her cheeks flushed scarlet, matching James' perfectly. He cleared his throat, "Uh… we are going to arrive in an hour or two, you should eat something," he said, "I'll go call the others, I think they might have the lunch,"

Lily nodded, and James hastily excused himself from the compartment, his face red in embarrassment. Lily bit her lip, and she sleepily rubbed her eyes. She leant against the wall, once again about to go to sleep when-

"Hey, Lil-lil!"

Lily groaned as Sirius, Remus, James and Ramona burst into the compartment. James quickly sat opposite her, not wanting to sit with her because it would only add to the tweasing she and him were going to get.

Ramona slid down beside Lily, throwing an arm around her friend's shoulder, "Nice sleep?" she asked sweetly, an innocent look on her face, but her eyes said different.

Lily fought back the pink ting that was about to come on her face, "Fine," she replied, faking a yawn in attempt to change the subject, "I'm still sleepy," she added, truthfully.

Remus and Ramona chuckled, and James grinned sheepishly at her. Sirius held his chin in mock thought, "Hmmm, how can you still be sleepy? Our very own Jamesie was doing a great job holding you close and-"

"Stop calling me things with 'sie' at the end," James groaned, attempting to change the subject as he turned a bright shade of red at Sirius' comments.

"You know, Lily," Remus said slowly, "If you're still sleepy, James is still here,"

Lily's mouth fell open in surprise at _Remus_ ' comment, and no one could blame her as they gaped at Remus for a few seconds, not believing that calm, proper and wise Remus had said what he'd just said.

James and Lily turned red, and Lily glared at Remus, lightly whacking his knee, "Idiot," she muttered.

"That's ma boy," Ramona laughed, grinning at Remus.

"That _is_ your boy," James suddenly perked up, smirking as Ramona and Remus took the turn of being embarrassed and turning red, "My, my, I wonder what you two were doing while we were gone," he added, sneakily.

Lily laughed, Sirius chuckled, and Remus turned a bright shade of scarlet.

* * *

As the train neared King Cross Station, the boys went out of the compartment, saying that they would go find Peter.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much, Lils," Ramona said, finally letting it out when they were gone, even though she wasn't shy of telling Lily before.

Lily nodded sadly, "Two whole months," she sighed, as the two girls sat close to each other. Even though this phrase would be childish, the only way to describe their relationship would be 'best friends forever', and indeed that was true.

"I just hope your sister is nice," Ramona said, mirrioring Lily's sad face. She was the only one who knew about how Petunia had turned on Lily after she had found out that her sister was indeed a witch.

How she'd called her a freak, and completely ignored her.

"She's hard enough to deal with," Lily frowned, "I just wish we were like before…when we were like…sisters,"

Ramona bent over and gave Lily a quick hug, "I'll be your replacement sister," she winked, and the two girls laughed.

After a little while, Sirius and Remus clambered into the girls' compartment, saying that they should say their goodbyes now because when they reached the station, there wouldn't be any time.

Sirius gave Lily a brotherly hug, smiling at her, "See you in two months," he said, "Don't forget to write," he added firmly, earning a laugh from Lily.

The two of them pulled back from their hug to see Remus hugging Ramona in a way which wouldn't exactly be called 'friendly'. Sirius opened his mouth to ruin the moment, but Lily pinched him, giving him a look which said not to stop this.

Sirius was going to James' house for summer holidays, and Remus would join his two friends along with Peter later in a week or two. Lily knew that when those two boys were around each other, hardly anything would be dull and she sort of envied them, wishing Ramona could also visit her because the girls hadn't really spent any day without seeing each other.

Remus captured Lily in a hug after his moment with Ramona, and she hugged him tightly. Unlike Sirius and her, Lily had a stronger brotherly friendship with Remus, even though Sirius wasn't far behind. The two were always close, and Remus was always there to comfort Lily if she needed help, and she was the same for him.

"Miss you," Lily muttered, smiling at her 'older brother'. Remus smiled back at her, "You too, Lily," he said, as the two pulled away, "Just make sure you write," he added, just like Sirius, making Lily inwardly laugh at how similar and different the boys were.

"Sure," she replied, waving to them once before they left and the train stopped.

When she turned back to Ramona, the waterworks began. Lily hugged her tightly, as the other her sobbed lightly into her shoulder, "Really…going to…miss you," Ramona sniffed, shutting her eyes tightly.

Lily laughed sadly, "Mona, don't cry, you're gonna make me cry," she said, grinning comfortingly at Ramona who wiped her tears and grinned back at her.

"Don't worry, Lils," she began in a teasing tone, "You'll have _James_ ' shoulder to cry on,"

Lily acted like she threw up at the prospect of crying on James' shoulder, "And _you,_ my dear Ramona, will have Remus," she shot back, and the two girls burst into laughter.

Lily bid Ramona goodbye, and was at the point of gathering her things, and her furry black cat, who had gotten very annoyed in the train ride, when a panting James burst into the compartment.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked with an amused air, realizing that James was the only one she hadn't said bye to.

"Fine, just forgot to say bye," James replied, grinning at her, "See you next term, Lily," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Lily smiled back at him, and after a moment of consideration, she lightly wrapped her arms around James, pulling him into a hug. At first she felt him stiff up, before his arms went around her.

"Don't forget to write," Lily warned, as he held her at shoulder length.

James laughed, "Not a chance," he replied with a grin, suddenly grabbing her trunk from her hands.

"What're you doing?" Lily asked, trying to take it back, "Don't you have yours?"

"I already left mine outside," James informed her, "I just came back to help you," he added, nervously.

Lily suddenly felt warm. James had already gone outside, but he came back inside to help her and say goodbye. She felt flustered inside as she picked up her cat, Midnight, as she called him.

"Thank you," Lily muttered as the two walked through the aisle and out of the train where there were people waiting, laughing and calling out names.

James followed Lily through the crowd, and dropped the trunk at her feet when they reached the brick wall in the platform (Lily's parents would be outside).

He flashed her a grin, and was about to walk away when-

"Bye, James!" Lily said, capturing him again in a quick hug, and she noticed James' cheeks redden slightly before she waved at him and disappeared behind the brick wall. Lily could've sworn she saw Sirius laughing and cheering James as he stood in the crowd.

And the summer holidays began once again.

* * *

 _I'm siriusly loving Sirius right now. lmao, who doesn't love him tbh?_

 _How many reviews are you guys gonna bless me with on this chapter? (I can almost hear you guys saying, "none," XD)_

 _Anyway, ignore my weirdness. Really hoped ya liked it!_

 _See ya,  
thefanster outtt!_


	6. Chapter 7

_**Heyy y'all! How're you guys doin? Miss me? (prob not... :P).  
**_ _ **Anyway, here's the update you all have been wanting for sooo long (not)!**_

Ivyrose88: Omg, thanks so much! That means a lot to me. It inspires you guys? I didn't know that! If it does, then you really should write! Do that, 'cause it's loads of fun. If you do, I'll be the first one to see it! ;)

 **Disclaimer: Geez, when will you understand that I'm not JK Rowling?!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The summer holidays weren't anything special for Lily. Petunia hardly ever talked to her, because according to her, Lily was a 'freak'.

The young witch couldn't help but wish that they were still friends, or sisters. That would have sounded weird, but the way Petunia treated her could hardly be called sisterly.

She ignored her, bumped into her shoulder if the two happened to pass in the hall, or completely act like she didn't see her.

So much so, that if they were together, Petunia would act like Lily was some stranger, and not her little sister.

This really hurt Lily, even though she didn't say much. Even her parents noticed, and they tried to get Petunia to start acting nice to her, but either she didn't listen, or Lily begged them not to say anything.

She was lonely now, and usually spent her day in her room, surrounded with many books as she read and read, not having anything to do, or anyone to talk to.

Hogwarts was her home now, and she wished more than ever that she had asked Dumbledore if she could stay for the summer, even though no one else would be there.

Still, her parents were over here and that was a good thing.

Lily often spent her evenings, leaning against the big sofa that her father sat on, reading out loud some muggle literature to him, or listening as he told her how work was going, and how the people over here were like.

The two were very close, and these times were always spent laughing, smiling and just…loving.

Lily and her mom were also very close, and her mother was a huge bookworm. They both used to sit in her room, leaving the window open so that sunshine poured in and soaked them as they sat together and read.

Lily still liked muggle literature, and she and her mother used to spend hours sitting together, sharing a blanket which they sat comfortably under, either reading out loud, or just silently watching the other read some book.

Her parents were amazing, yes, but Lily wished she had someone her age to talk to. She would've talked to Severus, but she and Sev had grown apart, and hardly ever looked at each other in school.

He became friends with some "death eaters" as Lily called them, and so they never talked anymore.

Ramona used to send letters, but that wasn't too often because she was busy on a family vacation and didn't have too much time to talk.

Sirius and Remus sent her letters, but words didn't express how much it was to actually see your friend in person. They used to see each other every day, back in Hogwarts, and it could never be the same.

None of them actually knew how much lily missed them, and how the hours passed by without anything to do, and minutes were like torture.

As Lily was spread on her bed, her face buried in the pillow, she suddenly heard a loud crow.

She jumped up, and whipped her head around to see a beautiful brown owl with a long white streak it's feather perched on her window outside, tilting his head as he eyed her curiously.

Lily looked at him with a rather confused expression, before she suddenly gasped and stumbled off her bed, and fell down with a thud.

Groaning, she picked herself up and made her way to the window, letting the window open and the owl come in.

She had recognized the owl. It was James' owl. She had seen it before, but since she hadn't gotten a letter from James, she was a bit confused before.

Lily quickly took off the paper that was stuck to the owl, whose name was surprisingly Lilium, leg. Her face lit up when she realized that this must be from James.

Lilium watched her unfold the paper, and her eyes scan it.

 _Dear, Lily_

 _Hello! How are you doing? I'm sorry I couldn't write before, I was rather busy doing…things with the other marauders._

 _How is your summer going? Pleasant, I hope. How's your family? And your sister, is she being nice?_

 _So…I don't really have much to say, I guess. Hope to see you soon, I really miss you.._

 _Be a chap and write back, will you? Also, make sure you stay away from that Snivellus Snape. I don't think you should go near him, it's….just don't go._

 _See you soon,  
James_

 _P.S. get out of your books and get a life. ;)_

 _P.P.S don't miss me too much._

Lily squinted after the line 'Hope to see you soon', wondering what was written in the place James cut out and blurred. She didn't understand, but shrugged it off.

Lily smiled when she saw how he cancelled 'Snivellus' and turned it into 'Snape', knowing how much she hated it when he called him that.

At the part where he said to stay away from him, Lily couldn't help but think it was a little over protective, but she must be wrong, right? She shrugged it off as him being like an older brother, and not a…. _that_.

She rolled her eyes when he told her to get a life, and rewched out to get some parchment and write him a letter back.

* * *

"Moony, come here!" Sirius shouted, as he, James and Remus stood at the roof of the Potter's home, watching birds and practicing spells.

Remus rolled his eyes and went over to Sirius, who was currently standing at the edge of the roof, looking out into the sunset.

"Yes, Padfoot?" he asked, warily.

"Look at that!" Sirius shouted, earning a 'Don't shout,' and glare from Remus.

Remus squinted at looked at where Sirius was pointing, and saw a small owl flying their way. He immediately recognized it, and called James over.

"James, I believe that's your owl," he said, as James walked up to them, glancing at where they were looking.

"She's back so soon," James muttered, holding an arm out as Lilium neared, and hopped onto the outstretched arm.

It has only been a day since James wrote to Lily, and the owl was already back.

"Gosh, Prongsie," Sirius began, as James stroked the owl, "Lily must really like you, for she answered yours a lot quicker than ours, eh?"

James reddened slightly, shooting a glare towards his friend as he opened the letter, glancing back at Lilium who had climbed up to his shoulder, and was eyeing the letter with interest.

 _Dear James,_

 _I'm very well, thank you. Everyone else over here is also doing great, what about you?_

 _Tuney….let's just say she isn't the best._

 _I'd get out of my books_ James _, but I, unlike you, don't have anything else to do. You should siriusly consider getting a life yourself, one of these days._

 _And what, may I ask, is wrong with talking to Severus? He's okay, but I don't really talk to him, anyway. So you needn't 'worry'._

 _Say hello to Remus and Sirius for me, and have a good summer! Hope to see you soon! Miss you all lots!_

 _Love, Lily_

 _P.S. Remember to study! :P_

James quickly read over the note, a small grin on his face. His grin surprisingly widened when he read how she told him to study, ' _That's so Lily,'_ he thought.

"Give me that!"

James' dreamy thoughts were interrupted by Sirius grabbing the note, and scanning it with his eyes.

"Y'know, Prongs," he began with a smirk, "I'm sure she meant she misses _you_ a lot, not us,"

James groaned, "Be quiet, will you?"

* * *

 **Okay, not interesting...at all...I know. This was a super boring and weird chapter, but you'll hafta make do for now.**

 **BTW, I'm gonna be pretty busy this next week, so I'm sorry if I can't update too soon. Thanks for all the awesome reviews, you guys. They really made my day!**

 **See ya,  
thefanster out!**


	7. Chapter 8

_Hey, guys! Since the last chapter was pretty horrible, I wrote this one! Hopefully, it'll give y'all some feels, and get you ready for the rest of this fic, because the adventure has JUST begun!_

 _Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah! I don't own Harry Potter_

 _GUYS, I forgot to add Marlene McKinnon earlier in the fic, so you'll hafta go along with her joining in later. Thanks! (I'm prob gonna do the same with Alice and Mary)_

* * *

Lily quickly kissed her father's cheek, "Say good bye to Mum for me, will you Dad?" she whispered, as he pulled her into a huge bear hug.

"Yes, of course," Mr. Evans replied, "Now run along, good bye, Lily," he said, waving at her.

Lily nodded, and with a very bright face, she grabbed the bar of the trolley and ran in with full force into the brick wall, her eyes still tightly shut until she got to the other side.

"Gosh, Evans, still scared?"

Lily squeaked when she felt someone wrap their arms around her in a hug. Whipping her head around, she saw James' amused hazel eyes looking down at her.

She scoffed at him, but hugged him back, a smile reaching her lips. The hug surprisingly was longer than they usually did.

As soon as James sneaked up and put his arms around her, he melted into it as much as she had, and her always intoxicating perfume kept him there longer.

"Ah, so intimate,"

James and Lily sprung apart, to see Sirius chuckling behind James, a teasing smirk on his face. Someone laughed behind him, and Lily saw Ramona and Remus standing on either side of Sirius, with knowing looks on they're faces.

"Shut up, Padfoot," James muttered, glancing back sheepishly at Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes, "I heard there's a new girl this year, Sirius," she returned smoothly, "Marlene was it?"

Sirius turned red, and Lily gave him a satisfied smirk and a small wink as she went over and hugged Ramona tightly, smiling as the two girls exchanged their 'hello' and 'I missed you'.

When she hugged Remus, she heard the wise one of the four Marauders whisper into her ear, "Getting close to Prongs, I see,"

Lily sprung away from him, a glare on her face as she lightly whacked his arm, earning more chuckles from Sirius.

* * *

On the train, the new girl, Marlene McKinnon had introduced herself to Lily and Ramona, and the three were already best friends.

Marlene had told the two that she loved flying, and Ramona began telling her about Quidditch, and the two girls became enraptured in the sport.

Lily wasn't too much into Quidditch, so she excused herself and left the compartment, going to change into her robes.

As she was coming back, she chose not to go to Ramona and Marlene, but to the front of the train where the prefects were.

She found Remus there, smiling as she came in.

"Hello, Remus," she greeted him, returning his smile as she sat down next to him, "Ah, I see you're the prefect this year? I'm glad it isn't some idiot like it was last year," she said, pointing to the shiny badge that was pinned to his chest.

Remus nodded, "Yes, this year will be better," he agreed.

"But James will be James, and completely ruin and disobey the rules," Lily mused, frowning slightly at the thought of having to deal with his constant pranks.

Remus nodded again, "Prongs is always a hand full," he agreed, before an almost evil look flashed in his eyes, "And you seem to quite like to talk about him a lot these days, don't you Lils?"

Lily turned slightly red, "I-I do not," she persisted, trying to control the blush that was spreading across her face.

"And what about you?" she said when she'd recovered herself, "As I recall, _someone_ was getting cozy in the compartment with Ramona last train ride, eh Remus?"

It was Remus' turn to flush, which he did, to the roots of his brown hair. Lily laughed, and he soon found himself joining into it.

"But seriously, Remus, when _are_ you going to ask her out?"

Remus groaned.

* * *

On her way back to the girls' compartment, Lily stopped where Sirius sat, probably waiting for James or something.

"Oh, hey Lily," he greeted, flashing her a small grin, and patting the seat opposite him, motioning her to sit down.

"Hi, Sirius," Lily smiled back, sitting down. She observed his far-off and dreamy look, "Is something…wrong?" she asked.

Sirius' head snapped up to her's, "No, n-nothings wrong," he stammered quickly, forcing another grin.

Lily rolled her eyes, "Okay, what's wrong? Spill,"

Sirius looked nervously at her, and rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, "I like Marlene," he admitted in a low voice, "But don't tell anyone! Not Prongs! He'll announce it to the whole school and…"

Sirius' voice trailed off at Lily's un surprised face, "What?" he asked.

Lily shrugged, "Isn't it plain to see you're head over heels for her? Have you even talked to her?" she said, tilting her head in curiosity.

Sirius gave her a small, flustered grin, "Well, a little," he said slowly, "but it didn't mean anything, I guess,"

Lily frowned in thought. Sirius suddenly reached out and put a hand on her knee, "Help me, Lily," he said, giving her an earnest look.

Lily pulled up a mock surprised look, "Well, well, well," she began, "If it isn't the mighty Sirius Black, the man who charms all the ladies, asking for help? My, my, this _is_ something,"

"Lily," Sirius groaned, "Come on,"

Lily laughed, "Okay, okay," she said, grinning at him, "Go talk to her, she's with Ramona. They were talking about Quidditch, and she likes flying, so I reckon you should talk to her about that, it'll be a start. Besides, you're a beater, adds to the chance,"

Sirius jumped up in excitement and ran to the door, but suddenly turned around and squeezed Lily in a quick hug, "Thanks, Lily!" he shouted, running out of the compartment.

Lily quirked an eyebrow at him, laughing lightly at his flustered and love-struck face.

"What got him jumping a thousand feet in the air?" James mused as he came into the compartment, his eyes following the running Sirius before landing on Lily with his traditional smirk.

Lily shrugged, "Someone's in love," she noted, rolling her eyes playfully.

James laughed, "I see," he returned, grinning at her. Lily smiled at him, then turned to look out of the window, leaning on it, her red hair falling off of her shoulders, down to her waist, slightly curling at the tips, and wavy all the way down.

Her green eyes were sparkling as she stared out of the window at the beautiful landscape as the train rushed past.

James felt his mouth dry, and he tried to keep himself from staring at her dreamy figure, leaning comfortably on the window, her elbows propped up.

"Did you know I'm Gryffindor captain this year?"

"Hm?" Lily turned around to look at him.

"I'm team captain of Gryffindor," James repeated, inwardly rolling his eyes at her far-off expression. Lily's face brightened.

"That's great, James," she said, smiling warmly at him, "Don't be too hard though," she added firmly, shaking a finger at him playfully.

James grinned, "Old Padfoot's got his eyes on someone, though. Marlene, was it? She said she was going to try out, and if she's in the team, ooh, Sirius, poor Sirius, I won't leave him alone for a minute," he said, rubbing his hands together, his grayish brown eyes twinkling evilly.

Lily laughed, "Don't, James," she scolded, before a small smirk rose to her lips, "I need to get Marlene… _first_ ," she added, mirroring his evil grin before the two burst into laughter.

 _This year was going to be good._

* * *

 _I have a question (please answer it): **Do you ship Ramona and Remus?**  
I think they're pretty awesome together, and Remus, sadly, doesn't have anyone, so Ramona will be great! Also, she's an awesome friend to Lily, so bonus._

 ** _Should I continue?_**

 _See ya,_  
thefanster _out!_


	8. Chapter 9

_Omg you guys, thanks for the support! Your reviews had me completely beaming,_ Gryffindor Girlfriend, HermioneGranger519 _and_ The Patil Twins! _Now I feel bad for such an awful chapter..._

 _Anyway, please don't flame me on this because I'm really, really, really trying to write better and think of an idea..._

 _Enjoy...?_

* * *

The new term started off great. Marlene, Ramona and Lily became best friends, and they might as well be called the golden trio, so random it was that they were apart.

The three girls had found Alice in the train, and the four girls went into a carriage together, and were followed by a love-struck Sirius and a grinning James.

Alice was the soft hearted, the mother figure of the group, but that didn't stop her from having fun in the group. She had met Lily in the first year, and she was a very good friend.

The ride to the castle was a jolly one, as the girls chatted, and occasionally James or Sirius would set the whole carriage laughing at some mock serious remark.

Lily had buried herself in a book, and hardly listened to anything. Marlene, being a very smart mouthed young lady, commented, "I'm pretty sure if Hogwarts was set of fire, Lily wouldn't notice, just give her a book and she'll never care,"

At this, Lily scowled, "At least I'll die peacefully," she shot back, "Now, about you, I don't know. Sirius' puppy faces might just be the death of you,"

Marlene whacked Lily's arm, blushing red, and avoiding eye contact with Sirius, who's face matched hers. The whole carriage rocked with laughter, and James' nudged her, "I might just leave the teasing for you, Lily," he whispered, grinning at her.

* * *

At dinner, Lily didn't have much time to talk with the marauders, too busy was she with Alice. The girl was sitting next to her, staring down at her food as she hissed questions at Lily, "Is he gone yet?" she asked once.

'He' was Frank Longbottom, Alice's ex boy-friend. Ramona had caught him cheating on Alice last year (he was kissing a popular girl after class), and it had been a tragic week.

First there was the anger, and Alice going off at Frank for a whole day. Then the tears and Lily was busy the whole day, helping Alice hide from Frank and supplying her with tissues.

After those few days, Alice had tried to move on, and completely ignored Frank (which was much approved by from the other girls), even though he pleaded for her to listen and let him explain himself, and give him a chance.

Alice always ignored him and Lily and Ramona supported her all the way, from helping her sneak out from the common room to hiding behind them in the halls after classes.

Frank had been desperate, but he'd done something horrible. Alice was very loving, and being soft hearted, she couldn't believe how naïve she had been and let Frank play her.

Lily knew though, that Alice still missed him, no matter how much she denied it and said that she was much happier now.

"No, don't look yet," Lily whispered back, glancing at Frank's direction, where the boy sat, looking confused and worried.

Alice nodded, "Okay," she replied, continuing to eat without looking up at him.

Marlene, who was sitting on the other side of Lily (as far away from Sirius and James as possible), nudged her, "What's up with that boy, why's he staring at Al?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at the offending boy.

Lily sighed, "He's an idiot," she replied, before telling Marlene in a hushed voice.

"Should I go teach him a lesson, Alice?!" Marlene asked after Lily finished, getting off of her chair.

Alice gasped, "Merlin! No!" she exclaimed, looking sideways at her, "It's okay, Marlene, really," she added, earning an eye roll from Marlene and a grunt as she sat down again.

* * *

 _GAHHHHHHH TALK ABOUT SUFFERING FROM A SERIOUS CASE OF WRITER'S BLOCK! I have NO idea what to put next and I'm literally thinking about this fic all the time because I don't wanna disappoint y'all..._

 _I'm thinkin' so please don't be mad, and I'll update as soon as possible. And as soon as I think of something, I promise!_

 _Have any ideas about what I should do next? I have a couple, so I'm gonna try one of em out, but if you have any, please tell me! ;)_

 _Thanks a bunch,  
thefanster out!_


	9. Chapter 10

_Hey y'all! Told you I'd give you an update, and here it is! Writer's block apparently doesn't last long, not when you have a buncha people waiting for updates. XD_

 _This chapter goes to The Patil Twins! Your reviews were so encouraging! ;)_

 _ENJOYYYY!_

* * *

"Why is Sirius watching me like that?" Marlene hissed, nudging me, as we sat in Transfiguration together. Trust her to be completely oblivious when it comes to crushes.

I glanced back and saw Sirius fiddling around with his wand, staring directly at the two of us, or rather Marlene.

A smirk tugged at my lips, and I quirked an eyebrow at him daringly. Sirius immediately turned pink and acted as if he wasn't looking.

Now, Sirius Black acting flustered was definitely not a normal thing. Next to James, he was one of the most popular Gryffindors, despite the laid back attitude.

Maybe it was the laid back attitude that attracted many girls. He wasn't bad looking either. His black hair that almost reached his shoulders and deep gray eyes often won the hearts of many.

He was pretty well toned and played beater on the Gryffindor team, another advantage. Unfortunately, he was also a bit of a player. Lily just hoped that doesn't happen to Marlene, and by the looks of love-struck Sirius, It's not likely either.

Of course Lily didn't think of him in that way, they were only good friends.

She shot a grin at him, showing him that she caught him and Sirius turned redder. Unfortunately for Lily, Professor McGonagall said something and she jerked back to the lesson, leaving the poor Marauder alone for that time.

On her side, Lily could see the Marlene was also a bit flustered, even though she tried not to show it. It was amusing to see her, the tough Marlene, fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat, and Lily bit back her laughter.

* * *

After a week came try outs. As the new Quidditch captain, James was anxious to be the best he could and train his team well.

Try outs were at five and Marlene was planning to go. Ramona was busy with some task that McGonagall had given her, so Marlene had asked Lily to come with her.

Lily had simply shrugged, inwardly anticipating the fact that Sirius would be there and how much she could tease him just by looking at him in a daring way.

Marlene was usually quick to dress, but today it seemed that there was a change.

"Mar, Mar, Mar," Lily shook her head, and pretended to glance her watch in disapproval, "Aren't we getting ready nicely? Ah, I wonder who we're trying to impress,"

Marlene turned pink, but being the sassy girl that she was, she smoothly replied, "Not me, but you might, seeing the way James looks at you,"

Lily's eyes widened and she turned a few shades of red, "Wh-what, no!" she said, trying to control her stammering but Marlene's comment had caught her off guard. She and James were just friends, right? He didn't look at her in _that_ way, and he had better girls to go after. Besides, Lily didn't care, and she definitely didn't like him.

Marlene grinned at her, "Gotcha," she laughed, linking her arm with Lily as the two girls walked down to the common room.

Lily laughed too, beginning to like Marlene more than ever.

The two girls chatted as the went to the Quidditch stadium. James stood in the middle of the pitch with Sirius and the other people who came to try out as well as the few teammates left.

Marlene squeezed Lily's hand, "Wish me luck, Lils!" she said, grinning excitedly.

Lily smiled back at, "See you, Marls. I'm going to go sit up there," she replied, pointing to bleachers. She looked back at Marlene, an evil glint in her eyes, "Try to focus on Quidditch, not Sirius," she added mischievously.

Marlene felt blood rush up her face, but before she could shoot something back at her retreating friend-

"Oi! McKinnon, you coming?" James shouted from his spot, waving an arm at her. He stopped and glanced at Lily, "Don't keep Sirius waiting!" he added, very unlike a captain he was supposed to be. But when your friend has a crush on someone, you just have to say it.

Marlene turned red and it was plain to see it, even from where James was standing. She cursed under her breath and walked up to him, her eyes narrowing at her grinning Gryffindor.

Sirius whacked James' arm, "Shut up, Prongs," he hissed, "Or I'll have to tell the whole school about your undying love for Lily,"

"Merlin, what?!" James choked, earning a grin from Sirius.

* * *

Lily had gone inside, half way through try outs, getting bored. Marlene probably didn't mind, because she was eagerly talking to the team about Quidditch.

Lily went to the common room, and chose to curl up on a chair and do some 'light reading'. Time passed quickly as Lily got absorbed in the knights, warriors, and heroes of her book.

Muggle literature was still interesting to her, and since she didn't want to only read about spells and old wizard heritage and what not, it was fun to relax with a different book.

"Lily!"

Lily's book fell down with a thud, and she jumped, startled for a moment. In front of her stood Marlene, face glowing with happiness and excitement.

"Hello, Marlene," Lily drawled, "Thanks for that," she bent down and picked up her poor book, but a smile tugged at her lips as Marlene jumped onto the couch next to her.

"I made the team!" she squealed happily, "I'll be a beater!"

Lily's mouth broke into a wide smile, "That's great, Marls," she said, squeezing her friend's knee.

Marlene nodded eagerly, "This is going to really good fun," she agreed, and began pouring forth the wonders of Quidditch to Lily.

"You know Marls," Lily said thoughtfully when Marlene had finished, completely breathless in her excitement, " _Someone_ is the other beater,"

Marlene tilted her head in confusion, "Who?" she asked, watching Lily's bent head with curiosity. Lily stayed down for a moment because her lips twitched with mirth and amusement.

"Who, Lily?" Marlene asked again, still smiles.

Lily opened her mouth to reply but-

"I made her beater, Padfoot, just for you!"

The two girls turned around and saw Sirius and James walk in, James all grins and Sirius burning red.

"Shut up, Prong…hey girls!" he broke off, forcing a grin at Lily and Marlene.

Marlene's eyes popped out in surprise when she understood the answer to her question, " _You're_ the other beater?" she exclaimed, jumping off the chair.

Sirius rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Yes….." his voice trailed off and he looked up at Marlene again, "Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

James was about to laugh outright, seeing Sirius so worried, but Lily pinched his arm, giving him a look, telling him to stay quiet and not ruin the moment.

Marlene shook her head very quickly, "Of course not!" she said hurriedly, ignoring the snicker that had escaped James' lips, "It's actually quite nice," she added, actually smiling _shyly._

Lily smiled a little, and watched the two in silence, feeling happy for Marlene.

Sirius grinned immediately, "I can help in teaching you how to be the beater and do the things, you know! It'll be fun!" he said, earning an eager nod from Marlene.

James cleared his throat, making the two jump and remember Lily and James.

"Well, we should get going," Marlene said, shooting a smile towards Sirius before turning back to Lily.

Lily nodded, "See you, boys, later," she added, sliding off the couch and walking towards the portrait door with Marlene, who clutched her arm nervously.

Just before the two girls went, Lily thought she heard James laugh and say, "You're dead gone on her, Padfoot,"

* * *

 _Talk about AWWWW! I really ship Sirius and Marlene, don't you think they're cute?_

 _Well, anyway, this teasing each other thing is pretty amusing. Marlene and Sirius vs James and Lily, who'll win? Looks like teamJily won this round!_

 _See ya,  
thefanster outttt!_


	10. Chapter 11

_Hey, guys! Here's the super, super delayed update! I just wanted to say I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to post this before. I had writer's block and I've been busy as hell, you wouldn't even believe._

 _PLEASE go to my profile because I have a few things to explain, I won't be updating for a SUPER long time, I have a lot going on, but I've explained every thing over there. Thank you!_

 _I'd like to thank every single one of you for your kind - naw, AWESOME reviews!_

 _Kriti: I like your inpatient reviews, reminds me of well...me? XD  
_ Jily Shipper Forever: Y-Yes, M-Ma'am!  
xzxzxzx: OMG I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS SO MUCH! It's so cool that you're almost my age, ahh!  
ME _and_ updateplzzzzzzzz _believe it or not, I'd forgotten to update, and your reviews reminded me! Thanks!_

 _I'm sorry for this long author's note n stuff, but they all just make me grin and just push me forward like you wouldn't believe._

 _Enjoyyy!_

* * *

"Oi, Lily!" James shouted, running into the Gryffindor common room one afternoon, searching for Lily, "Where are you!"

"I'm over here, James. Be quiet, you're shaking all of Hogwarts with your loud voice," Lily hissed at him, coming downstairs from the girls' common room.

James grinned, "Anyway, so I had this bloody brilliant idea-"

"Enlighten me," Lily cut in sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him.

"-Before I was so very rudely interrupted," James continued, earning a snort from Lily, "I have a plan that can bring Padfoot and our very own Marlene together!" he said, grinning triumphantly.

Lily's eyes brightened, and she grinned back at him, sitting down on the couch and motioning him to do so too, "Well, tell me. Spill," she laughed, immediately joining in on this 'bloody brilliant plan'.

"Well, this is what we can do. As you know, they're both in the depths of denial, so what my plan is-"

Lily rolled her eyes, "Enough small talk, would you care to tell me the plan?"

"-that when we go to Hogsmeade today, we take Sirius and Marlene with us. You know, go to the three broomsticks or something,"

Lily nodded eagerly, "And?" she asked, bending forward in her curiosity.

"Well, what we do is, order some drinks and things for them, and just leave. Let them be together, you know? They won't have a say in this because I'll tell Sirius earlier that I want to spend some time with you alone, but that's just a lie so we can put them together," James finished triumphantly.

"So we ditch them, you say?" Lily asked, trying to ignore the sad tug her heart gave when he said that he didn't want to spend time with her, not in that way. Lately, she had been feeling different towards James, and with all the teasing, remarks and theories that her friends had been coming up with, she couldn't help but think of him often. Still, she hadn't figured out _what_ she felt exactly, but it hurt when James said it, anyway. He had, in fact, asked her out many times in their fourth year, but all that had stopped when they became friends.

Lily had made it stop.

 _"_ _Potter….we have to try...and just be friends, alright? We can't be like this...I don't want us to be like this...we're too different and it would never work out. I'm sorry, but let's just be friends?" Lily said one day, pulling James over in the corridor when he'd hopefully asked her if they could try._

 _"_ _Fine, but I'll be there when you're ready…." James' voice trailed off, "Because I still like you, but maybe if you don't want to, I'll move on, too,"_

Anyway, back to the present.

James nodded eagerly, "That's the only way, Lily! And besides, it'll be fun," he wiggled his eyebrows, "We can secretly spy on them too, I have the invisibility cloak and everything,"

Lily sighed, "Fine," she agreed finally, " _but only_ this time, okay?"

James grinned, "Fine, only this time. Unless you fall under my spell and we have to prank them again," he paused, "My pranking spell, I mean," he added quickly at Lily's confused look.

' _Of course, he didn't mean it like that, why would he?'_ Lily thought, inwardly sighing, even though she didn't know why she cared.

James frowned, "Are you...alright?" he asked suddenly, "You look rather...far off? What's wrong?" he looked worried.

Lily shook her head quickly, "I'm fine," she replied hurriedly, forcing a smile. James quirked an eyebrow and gave her a disbelieving look, " _Really_. I was just...thinking that Marlene would kill me after this, you know how she is," she added quickly.

"Yes, she would," James laughed, but Lily could tell he didn't believe her. But still, he didn't push more on the matter, much to her relief.

"Are Remus and Peter coming to Hogsmeade?" Lily asked suddenly, changing the subject.

James shook his head, "Naw, I don't think they are. Remus, well, he wants to stay and study -I pity him- and Peter….I have no idea,"

Lily laughed, "Well, see you outside in thirty minutes then. I'll go upstairs and get Marlene, god knows what she's up to,"

"Dreaming about Sirius, I'm sure," James said in mock thoughtfulness, grinning at Lily. She couldn't help but laugh as well as she walked away, not noticing the wistful look in James' eyes as he looked at her disappear.

* * *

"Come on, Marls!" Lily called, slipping on her coat and stepping out of the girls' dormitory, "You look great, don't worry!" she added teasingly because Marlene had been changing her look a little bit lately, much approved by Alice and Mary. Perhaps it was because of a certain Black, but we might never know.

Still, it gave James and Lily an opportunity to tease them both. But she wasn't the only one who dressed up, to be fair to Marlene, it had become pretty apparent to the girls that Lily had also started wearing a little bit of makeup, just to change things up a little. She hadn't ever been too girly, but now in the fifth year, it had to change. But Lily was strong on the point that she would still look like herself no matter what, and the girls liked that about her.

Marlene finally came out, and the girls left the dormitories, hand in hand.

"Do you think I look okay?" Marlene asked suddenly, as they stepped out of the portrait together. Her voice was quiet, and for once in her life, Marlene McKinnon looked hesitant.

Lily sighed and gave her and a gentle squeeze, "Mar, you look amazing, don't worry," she said sincerely, "You always do, so don't worry, okay?"

Marlene bit her lip, "Don't tell, Lily, but I've been feeling rather funny lately," she paused, "I don't know what's going on, I feel like...so...different,"

Lily smiled softly, "Is this about Sirius?" she asked when they were safely out in the empty hallway, "You tell me,"

Marlene smiled sheepishly, "Maybe…" she muttered, feeling butterflies in her stomach at his remembrance. Well, not remembrance, because he was the only thing on her mind these days. Oh, Marlene…

Lily smiled, she wasn't going to tease, only help Marlene this time, "Do you like him?" she asked, as the girls turned the corner.

"No!" Marlene exclaimed suddenly, making first years who were crossing jump in surprise and run away, "I'm not sure…." she added in a low voice.

"Well, do you like the way he looks?" Lily asked uncertainly, "the way he is around you?"

Marlene didn't reply but gave a meek nod in answer. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if she liked him.

"But he's a player, Lily…. I've heard about what girls say, you know, that he's probably dated half of the girls in our year but broke up with them? Broke their hearts…" she said finally, looking doubtfully at Lily, "I don't want that to happen to me…"

Lily bit her lip, it was true that Sirius had broken many hearts, and she never wanted that to happen to Marlene, "I….." her voice trailed off. Lily paused, "He looks at you differently," she said finally.

"What?"

Lily pursed her lips, "I know Sirius, and I've noticed that he doesn't look at you in the same way as other girls, Marl," she paused, "And I for one think that he does like you, whether you do or not,"

Marlene smiled a little, "You think?" she asked, biting her lip a little.

"I know," Lily replied with a cheeky wink, and both the girls burst into laughter.

After a few moments, Marlene looked thoughtful, "Well, I'll see for myself," she said, "I'm not even sure if I like him, you know?"

Lily shrugged, "You can always try," she smiled, "But if he breaks your heart, remember, I'll break his face,"

Marlene grinned, and the two girls laughed as they walked outside.

* * *

The boys were waiting at Hogsmeade for the girls, with nothing to do. They had gotten sick of pranking people by using the invisibility cloak and pushing them and god knows what else, of course, it _was_ fun, but they'd bored of it, and now sat on a bench outside the three broomsticks.

"What's taking them so long?" Sirius grumbled, digging his hands deeper into his pockets because of the cold. It was snowing, and the shop owner had kicked them out because they weren't ordering anything, as they had to wait for the girls.

James grinned, "Impatient to see our very own - no, sorry, _your_ very own McKinnon? My, Marlene should be pleased that you're fussing over her more then you've ever done on any other girl, eh?" he teased, glancing sideways just in time to see Sirius' cheeks redden, and he knew it wasn't because of the cold.

"N-No! I don't like her, okay?" Sirius said quickly, hoping James hadn't caught that stutter, but of course, he had.

James nodded innocently, "Of course, you don't like her, you _fancy_ her," he said, a smirk tugging on his lips, "But at least you won't be grumbling about the cold when she's around, you're practically burning already, right, dear?"

Sirius groaned, "Stop already, don't you have anything better to do?"

James grinned for a moment, before turning serious suddenly, "Would you stop lying to yourself? You know you've fallen for Marlene you're in denial," he said.

"I'm not in denial, I do _not_ know what you're thinking, James. You must be going bonkers," Sirius said, and James lifted his eyebrows, "Okay, maybe I do….but I don't know if she does, alright? Besides, we wouldn't ever be good together. She's smart and would hate everything I did, we're not alike at all,"

James laughed, much to Sirius' surprise, "You're in love, mate," he clapped Sirius' shoulder, "You two are more alike than you think, for instance, your denial that you love each other,"

* * *

 _So, this wasn't too long of a chapter, but the next one will (hopefully) be longer! Can't wait to write it and show you guys! I'm pretty much over the writer's block and my head's just full of ideas! Yay! But while you're waiting, I have a buncha more fics, so you could read those! "Broken" is a jily fic that you might like. So pop over and check those for your enjoyment...and_ my _views *insert cheeky grin here*_

 _Thanks for all the support,  
thefanster outttt!_


	11. Chapter 12

_Hey, everyone! I'm back with another update! Hopefully, you guys still stuck around with this super delaying author...most of the views dropped so I'm guessing you are gone... but anyway, to the people who are here, I hope you like this chapter! I worked hard on it, especially cause I had an intense headache while writing, but wanted to post it quickly cause I don't wanna leave y'all hanging!_

C.C.A.T. ATTACK: _Preach, man, preach. Can that get any truer? Gahh chapters are never long, but this one hopefully is longer! Thanks for reading!_

 _Happy reading! (God, I sound like some geek XD)_

* * *

Lily and Marlene strolled through the street, walking towards the three broomsticks where the boys would be waiting. Lily nudged Marlene's arm before taking off, "Last one to the boys is a rotten egg!" she shouted, bracing herself against the cold wind as she ran.

"Hey!" Marlene laughed, running after her friend, her blonde-ish bouncing as she pounded through the snow. Lily was gasping for breath as she ran, feeling the cold make her face flushed and eyes sparkle.

The girls spotted the two boys sitting on a bench nearby, and Lily glanced behind her. Marlene had almost caught up to her.

Sirius looked up and gasped, "Go girlsss!" he shouted, roaring with laughter. James followed his gaze and saw the girls bounding towards them, just in time too, because Lily, who had accidentally gone too fast and was now coming towards him at a very fast pace, bumped straight into him, sending them both over the side of the bench.

Sirius and MArlene roared with laughter, and doubled over in their amusement. Lily had accidentally pushed James back and since the bench didn't have a back part, both of them went flying on the other side and James acted like a pillow for Lily when she fell on top of him.

"Way to have a good run…." he groaned, opening his eyes to see Lily on top of him, her own eyes wide as she stared down at him. Her cheeks suddenly flushed up to the roots of her red hair as she very unsuccessfully scrambled off of him.

"You…..guys…..are….hilarious-" Marlene gasped for breath, snorting with laughter at Lily's red face and James' bewildered one, leaning on Sirius for support as she doubled over again.

Sirius pretended to wipe a tear away from his eye, "Priceless, my dears, quite priceless," he said, his grey eyes shining with amusement and laughter.

Lily's cheeks burned even more, but James seemed pretty chill with the whole situation. He picked himself up and eyed Sirius and Marlene warily, "Not as much as you two are right now," he pointed out with a small smirk, gesturing towards them.

Sirius, in his merriment, had accidentally slipped his arm around Marlene's shoulder and was leaning against her. Marlene had either not noticed -which was highly unlikely- or not cared because she herself was clutching onto his arm.

"I always thought you were perfect together," James mused, looking in mock thoughtfulness at Sirius and Marlene, who at that moment sprang apart and avoided glances, "Easy, Sirius. Remember, it's still winter. You look like something Kreacher cooks eggs off, your face is so red,"

Lily snorted uncontrollably with laughter, making Marlene's face turn a bright shade of crimson, "Oh, don't be shy, you two! You're absolutely perfect together! You're soo cute!" she added in mock sincerity.

After the laughter and chuckles subsided, Marlene quickly smoothed down her shirt, "Is it okay?" she hissed at Lily, looking expectantly her way.

Lily nodded, "You look great, don't worry," she replied in a low tone, "Don't look now, but our very own Mr. Black is staring at you,"

Marlene, unable to hold in her curiosity, glanced to the side and saw what Lily said was quite true, Sirius had once again been caught staring. He acted as if he hadn't seen, but soon looked back sheepishly at her.

James opened his mouth to tease, but Lily gave his hand such a hard squeeze that he immediately clamped it shut again, "Don't ruin this," she hissed at him, watching silently ahead.

Sirius walked a step closer to Marlene, "You l-look nice," he muttered, brushing back a bit of hair that had come onto her face. He was sincere, but his voice shook, and probably for the first time in his life, Sirius Black was hesitant and afraid of a girl.

Marlene blushed, "Th-thanks," she smiled softly, looking a little shy under his gaze.

Lily smiled a little as Sirius continued, "Well, you always d-do," he said, winking at her, though it was plain to see on his face that he was hesitant and shy. It wasn't one of the flirtatious ones he shot girls on a daily basis - or _did_ because as soon as Marlene came into his life, all that stopped- it was more….sincere.

Marlene's smile grew, "Not so bad yourself," she winked back, laughing lightly, most of the shyness gone.

Lily suddenly cleared her throat, "Ahem….sorry to interrupt, but you two go ahead, we're coming," she said, smiling at them.

Marlene's eyes widened and she shook her head, "Y-You two should come with," she said quickly, ever so slightly shaking her head towards Sirius, mentally telling Lily not to leave her alone.

"I….need to talk to Lily," James cut in, a bit hesitantly, making Lily nod furiously, " _Remember_ , Sirius?" he looked at his best friend.

Sirius nodded immediately, "Right, right," he said, biting his lip before suddenly grabbing Marlene's hand, "Come on, let's go. They'll catch up," he added, pulling her in after him before she could say another word.

Once left alone, Lily suddenly realized something. She glanced down and saw that her hand was still on James' when she'd stopped him from speaking. Apparently, James noticed too, and lifted both eyebrows at her, a small smirk playing on his lips. Lily's face turning crimson and she immediately let go, glancing away and feeling even more humiliated when James laughed and doing that, she missed another wistful look on his face as he chuckled at her mistake.

His laughs subsided after a few moments, and he sighed in relief, "Thank god I told Sirius that, or they would never go," he grinned, plopping himself down on the bench again and motioning Lily to do the same. She smiled at him and sat down next to him, shifting slightly to face him.

"Never," she agreed with a short laugh, "Now what?"

James shrugged, "Well, we should quickly order some drinks for them then leave? Or do you want to stay and spy on them?" he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Lily pursed her lip, "I don't know, James," she said slowly, "I don't want to ruin this for them by spying, you know how they are, they'd catch us in two minutes, and besides, it could all get spoilt. Marlene really does like him and it wouldn't end well that way,"

James frowned, "Sirius is pretty dead gone on her too, you should've seen," he agreed, "So now spying, then?"

Lily laughed, "No, James," she replied, and giggled a little at James pout, "Not this time," she winked, getting up.

"Alriiight," he agreed finally, grinning at her and following as she went into the shop.

* * *

"Marlene, I feel a little sick…." Lily lied, clutching her stomach, "I don't think I'm going to drink anything,"

Marlene frowned, "What do you mean? You were fine just minute ago, come on, Lily, you know you want to," she pursed her lips, but Lily only shook her head, inwardly cackling and feeling guilty for lying to her best friend, "Are you sure you're okay?" Marlene asked, putting a hand on Lily's shoulder.

Lily bit her lip to stop herself from laughing, because James had just shot her a very goofy and smirky grin from his place at the counter, "I don't think so, Marls," she replied slowly, "I'll be right back, okay?"

Lily got up from the table, leaving Marlene alone with Sirius who was sitting opposite her, "Where are you going?" Marlene asked suddenly, her eyes wide in surprise, "Don't you want to stay?"

Lily nodded and smiled, "I'm only going to James," she replied, inwardly cursing herself for sounding so stupid. But it worked, Marlene shrugged in approval and was swept away in conversation when Sirius turned to her and began talking.

Lily breathed in relief as she quickly crossed the room to James, "Oh Merlin, she almost caught me," she grinned, earning a grin back from James.

"Great. Now we leave, I've told a waiter to go give them their drinks, so he'll act as cover while we run," James replied, and Lily gave him a short nod.

The two silently followed the waiter, half hiding behind him as they crossed the room towards the exit. Lily bit her lip and quickly ran towards James, feeling her heartbeat quicken when Sirius looked over the waiters' shoulder at them.

"Hey! Where are you two-"

The door of the Three Broomsticks shut with a bang and a wink from Lily, and the two culprits ran breathlessly outside and hid behind a tree, in case Marlene and Sirius came after them. They stayed there for a few minutes, grinning in satisfaction at each other, and glancing at the door.

When it became clear that no one was coming, James sighed in relief, "Okay, done. Our plan is a success, you're great at pranking, Lily," he laughed, "I won't be obliged to call you a goody-two-shoes anymore, huh?"

Lily grinned, "Thanks, that felt good," she laughed, "But Marlene is going to kill me for this, and don't let me get started on you and Sirius,"

James grinned all the more, "This will be a tale to tell sometimes," he continued enthusiastically, "Opposites, James and Lily, worked together and pranked Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon. I tell you, Lily, we could be famous,"

Lily rolled her eyes, but the smile stayed firmly on her face. Only James Potter could talk about rubbish like that for ages without pause.

"So, do you want to go home….or?" James suddenly asked, breaking off from his blabbering and looking questioningly at Lily.

"I guess I should go back to Hogwarts, I have some studying….to...do…" Lily's voice trailed off and she saw a hopeful and wistful look in James' eyes as if they were wishing otherwise.

" _But_ , I could stay and we could do some things together! Since Marlene and Sirius are busy, you know?" she added quickly, smiling when the hazel eyes immediately brightened.

James smiled back at her, "Great!" he said, "Where do you want to go?"

* * *

For a few minutes, James and Lily simply strolled around Hogsmeade, and both were having a great time together. They never actually were left alone together, as one of their friends always joined them, now Sirius and Marlene were gone, Remus and Peter at Hogwarts, they were alone and were enjoying it immensely.

James could practically make Lily laugh at any joke he made, or at himself because there was nothing Lily enjoyed more than laughing at his weak attempts to make or joke or anything else. Either way, he made her smile and it glowed on her face.

James often got lost in looking at her and forgot the thing they were talking about, and then quickly had to fix things up before she caught him. He loved the way her green eyes brightened and crinkled. The way her smile could make anyone smile back because it was so genuine. And her laugh, that laugh that rang like music. He was sneaky sometimes, and slung his arm over her shoulder, smirking when her cheeks went pink.

They stopped at zonko's to get some candy and some fuel for James' constant pranks, much to Lily's disapproval. After getting their things, James suggested that they, "Go near the shrieking shack, there aren't many students there and it's peaceful,"

Lily simply shrugged and the two strolled in comfortable silence down the path which led to it, often 'accidentally' bumping into each others' shoulders. It was a good day for both couples, and as Lily walked alongside James, she saw that putting aside all the pranks and jokes, he had changed a little from what she used to think.

She noticed how kind he was to kids, and watched with a smile as he offered a small kid a piece of candy, which cheered the kid up immediately.

James on his part saw Lily like he had always done, but a deeper longing was in his heart as he watched her walk comfortably beside him, skipping lightly over rocks and snow, a small smile playing on her lips as she hugged her jacket closer to her.

He loved making her smile or laugh, even if it was at him, and watched her, his hazel eyes burning with passion, but unable to say anything to act on it, as she had told him no.

"Let's sit down here," James proposed, dropping down on the soft snow and lying down on his full length.

He felt Lily lie down next to him, and look up at the sky which was slowly turning darker as it was almost sunset. She breathed softly, and had a dreamy look on her face, her green eyes happy and content.

"Hey, Lily….." James said in a low voice, pushing himself up into a sitting position and watching her do the same.

"Yes, James?" she replied, looking questioningly at him. James had made up his mind to ask her something, even though it would be very hard for him and would probably end in shattering his heart again.

"I….I know you told me 'no' before….and I know it's completely your choice and everything, but…."

Lily's smile faded when she realized what was coming. She didn't want to answer the question he was about to ask because she was afraid. She was afraid that if she made the wrong choice in agreeing, her heart would get broken later on.

"It was so much fun spending the evening with you...and I wish we could do this again?" James tried a different approach, "You said..before..that we wouldn't be good together, and you might be right. But, Lily, I just can't do it like this anymore," he said softly.

Lily averted her eyes from his, "I….." her voice trailed off, and she was unable to say anything.

"You might not feel this way for me, maybe not ever, but can I make you feel that way? Lily, I told you before that I liked you, and nothing has changed from then...I just hope...maybe we could...try?" James asked in a low voice, reaching out to take her hand in his, "Maybe I could try to make you love me?"

Lily swallowed, "James, I-" she broke off. A hundred thoughts were going through her mind that moment. Should she agree? Would he break her heart later? Would his broken look be worth it all in the end?

In truth, Lily wanted to agree. She wanted to agree because of the new feelings she was getting towards him, but she was hesitant. She didn't know what to say, she didn't know what to do. She had loved this evening more than anything, and it was amazing spending time with him.

"I...don't…." she said in a very quiet voice, so quiet that James had to swoop down to catch the few words. Lily was about to say that she didn't know, but James accidentally took it the wrong way. As if she was saying she didn't want to be with him, just like before.

"You know what? It's okay, forget I asked you. I shouldn't have asked in the first place," he said quickly, a broken look in his hazel eyes as he hurriedly got up.

Lily quickly got up as well, "James, I-"

"No, it's okay. You don't want to, I know that now. You're right, it's...we...wouldn't be good together. Just forget this ever happened," James cut in, almost harshly, making Lily cringe. He didn't want to hear those words, he didn't want to hear her say she didn't want to, he didn't want his heart to be broken.

All the emotions he had held in for so many years finally came out, and James felt helpless.

Lily jogged to catch up with him, "Wait, James," she said, but James only took quick strides and went past her.

"We should go back, it's getting late," he continued walking, leaving Lily behind. She hung her head for a few moments, feeling terrible for hurting him. She had said the wrong thing, and he might never be friends with her again.

That good day had been ruined for both of them, and the walk home was quiet. Only this time, it wasn't comfortable, no one was smiling, and their hearts ached.

* * *

 _Aww man! Everything was going so great until this! Who's this annoying, stupid author who just wants to ruin everything?_

 _Next chapter will have some Marlene/Sirius, and hopefully, I won't shatter your hearts...or will I? *smirks evilly*_

 _I'll be updating, but if you_ want _it to be asap, then you gotta tell me. And no, this isn't for more reviews. I need to know because I have a WHOLE LOT of stories going on right now and need to know which one I should update next._

 _See ya,  
thefanster outt!_


	12. Chapter 13

_Hey. I'm really sorry for not updating in a whole month, and I haven't forgotten about this story. Real life got in the way, big time...family troubles and everything..  
So...uhm..yeah. I have a lot more planned, and hopefully, I can finish it. Most you won't even care (lol), but I'm probably leaving writing altogether after these few fics._

 _This chapter goes to_ Kriti! _I'm not gonna stop breaking your heart anytime soon. XD_

 _Soo, that said... Enjoy!_

* * *

"Shouldn't we go get those traitors?" Marlene protested, pushing herself up from her seat and glaring at the door. She felt a hand touch her wrist and lightly pull her. With surprised eyes, she glanced up, only to meet the gray eyes of Sirius Black looking sincerely at her.

"Forget them," he told her, smiling a little hesitantly. "Let's just...maybe...er...stay here?"

Sirius looked hopeful, and somewhere in her heart, Marlene wanted to stay. Like Lily had told her before, she was indeed falling for him.

"Fine, we'll get back at those betraying bastards later," she grinned, plopping herself down on the chair again, earning an eager look from Sirius.

So as the two sat on the table, Sirius burst into one of his long stories about some prank or the other. Marlene watched him a little curiously, laughing every now and then, a new light in her eyes.

The two had never been left alone together for this long before, and she was -even though she wouldn't ever admit it - quite enjoying herself. She liked the way he could make her smile, even at the stupidest things. She was surprised at herself for being so interested and for talking to him, Sirius Black of all people, for so long.

Marlene prided herself for never falling for a boy's stupid jokes or tricks, and never had really been - or wanted to be - in a relationship with someone else. But now as she sat with the obnoxious boy, she began seeing things differently. It was as if he took her mind off of things and made her feel happier. Even his attempts to impress her were amusing.

"I'll pay," she announced, rummaging through her bag and placing a few sickles onto the table.

Sirius shook his head, "No, I am." he told her, picking up the money and placing it back in her hand, brushing his fingers lightly against hers in the process.

"I...should…." Marlene's voice trailed off, and her eyes fell to their touching hands with shock. He was still bent close to her, and for once in her life, she, Marlene McKinnon, was lost for words.

After arguing over who would pay, the two finally went outside, causing other people in the Three Broomsticks to shake their heads lightly, and mutter to themselves, "young love", causing Sirius' ears to turn red and Marlene to pretend she never heard them.

They decided not to go ck to Hogwarts, and stayed in Hogsmeade for a little while more, comfortably walking side by side, talking non-stop and laughing together. They were having a great time, and Sirius finally felt like he had found someone he truly liked.

Through his long string of girlfriends - as bad as that sounded - he never really loved any of them. He felt all of that change when he met the spitfire in the crowd, sharp tongued Marlene. She, unlike the rest, pointed out he did wrong, joked over his misdoings, and above all, made him feel a bit more down to earth and showed him his mistakes.

Never did Marlene let him get away with anything, and Sirius couldn't help but smile sometimes at her remarks and objections to his every step.

As the two sat down on a bench together, Marlene shifted slightly to face Sirius.

"That was...fun." She smiled.

Sirius nodded, "It was." he agreed. Marlene noticed his thoughtful expression, and quirked an eyebrow when he smiled crookedly at her. "Do it again next week?" he asked, smiling nervously.

"Sure," she laughed.

Sirius grinned, "It's a date," he said before he could stop himself. His eyes widened, and he saw Marlene look a bit hesitantly away.

Marlene laughed awkwardly, "Uhm...er...yeah?" as the air around them suddenly got awkward. No one spoke for a few moments, and Sirius inwardly smacked himself for saying what he had just said.

"Would you ever...maybe...consider going out with me?" he muttered, causing Marlene to look up in surprise at his sudden question.

"I...uh.." her voice trailed off, and she seemed hesitant. "I don't know…"

Sirius swallowed, "We could...try? I really..uhm...I kind of like you? And it was fun today…." he said awkwardly.

"Sirius, I uh...like you too? But this wouldn't be a good idea, you know...we're complete opposites," - Sirius quirked a disbelieving eyebrow. - "and we wouldn't work out….I'm just a little afraid - it wouldn't work," Marlene broke off suddenly, swallowing nervously.

"Afraid?" Sirius repeated.

' _Oh crap,_ _he heard_.' Marlene thought frantically.

"I wouldn't ever hurt you," he said softly. "And don't give me that look, I heard you. Besides, Prongs' been hinting at it many times enough - uh, yeah…"

Marlene didn't meet his eyes, choosing to look away. "I don't think we - _us_ \- would work," she sighed.

Sirius hesitantly reached out and squeezed her hand, "Can you give me a try?" he asked, looking hopefully at her. All he wished for right now was that she agreed. It was very clear that he liked her, and it wasn't exactly easy to ask her that. He'd mustered all the courage he had and hoped she would agree. He'd never felt like this before, and it was different to see Sirius Black, the heart throb of Gryffindor, to actually be scared of rejection.

Marlene sighed again, turning to him finally. "Fine," she grinned, "I'll give _you_ a try,"

Sirius grinned goofily back at her, "See? Knew you wouldn't be able to resist all... _this_ ," he gestured to himself, looking cockily at her.

Marlene rolled her eyes, "Pah-lease,"

* * *

 _Starrya47: Sorry, girl! XD  
_ Jily Shipper Forever: _O-On it! Please don't killll meeee *bursts into tears*. Sides, who'll update, then? *grins cheekily*  
_ _  
_

 _Lol, I'll try and update soon! Thanks for the reviews, btw!_

 _See ya,  
I'm outt!_


	13. Chapter 14

_Hey guys! I really, really hope you're still here...I'm so sorry I couldn't update before, more than you could imagine. Last time was like a month ago, and I feel horrible because your reviews were so awesome.. *sobs* but I'm finally home, and this long travelling thing I had is over. Time to update, update, update!_

 _Kriti: Awww, thanks...As I just said, I feel horrible now lol. BTW, is that you? The_ 2005 _? I followed you ;P  
Hermione Granger519: Sowwee! I'll try a longer chapter really soon! Promise!  
Staryya: Ahh, boi, get yourself some popcorn and tissues, cause they ain't gettin' together for a loooong time!_

 _Here we go!_

* * *

Lily felt horrible. No, she felt worse than horrible. She knew she'd made a terrible mistake, but she couldn't pluck up the courage to apologize and tell James the real truth. So as soon as they reached the castle, James gave her a stiff ' _Goodbye,'_ and went off without another word.

Marlene hadn't returned yet, Alice was with Frank, Mary had gone off with another friend, leaving Lily alone. She trudged sadly up to the common room, ignoring the whispers and nudges that arose as she passed.

Of course everyone would know what had happened by now. Anything about James Potter did. It would've spread faster than the plague, but that was the last thing on Lily's mind. The look of hurt on James' face was enough to make her crumble, and how his hopeful smile vanished…it was too much for her.

Lily closed the door of her dorm weakly, and collapsed on her bed. She hugged herself miserably, and sobbed her heart out with the pain of one who regretted their decision more than could be imagined.

* * *

The girls found her like this an hour later, mascara smudged on her tear stained face. Marlene marched in, a bright smile on her face.

"Lily! Oh Merlin, you wouldn't believe what – Lily? Are you okay?" she broke off suddenly, a worried expression taking over her happy one. "Is something wrong? What happened?"

Lily only answered Marlene's questions with a small sob and a, "I messed up….I messed up so much, Marls,"

Just then, Alice cheerfully skipped in. Her reaction was just like Marlene's, and Alice hurriedly sat down next to Lily and put her arm around her sobbing friend's. "What happened?" she asked softly, "Did something go wrong?"

"Too wrong, Alice…" Lily wiped her tears away, "I…lied to James. Told him that we…couldn't be a _thing_."

"Oh Lily.." Marlene sighed. "You want to talk about it?"

* * *

In the boys' dormitories, Remus looked up from his book to see a fuming James enter the room, slamming the door fiercly behind him.

"Woah, there! What's wrong?" Remus asked quickly, dropping his book and sitting up.

"Every time I try!" James muttered. "Every single time!"

Remus frowned. "What do you mean? Is this about Lily?" he questioned carefully.

"Of course it is! Every single time I ask her, she just rejects me! What is her problem?" James ranted. "Doesn't she understand that I actually mean what I say? Does she think I'm going to hurt her or something!?"

Remus glanced away. "She sort of does..." he muttered under his breath. James unfortunately heard what Remus had said, and it only made him angrier.

"She thinks I'm going to hurt her?! Well then! If she's too _afraid_ , then I don't care about her anymore. She doesn't possibly think I'm going to wait for her to come around, does she? No…I'm going to find someone else, like it or not."

Remus was alarmed at James' words. "Wait!"

"What?!" James demanded.

Remus' eyes narrowed. "Calm down!" he told his friend sharply. James was surprised by Remus' tone, but did as he was told. "You really think she doesn't want to be with you? She's my friend, you git, don't talk about her like that. And I know she didn't mean it, Lily was probably just shocked at the time and didn't know how to react!"

"Oh, she reacted amazingly, I can tell you that." James muttered sarcastically.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Don't be an idiot. Go prank someone, cool off, but trust me on this, James, Lily _will_ come around, so don't do anything you regret."

With that, Remus got up and left the dorm, leaving James to his thoughts.

' _If Lily doesn't do anything, I will,'_ he thought, _'and she'll regret her choices soon enough.'_

 _ **To be continued...**_


	14. Author's Note: Should I Continue This?

_Hey,_

 _This is an author's note to a lot of my stories, most of which I haven't updated in a while. RL was very busy, it still is, and kinda stressful. And I'm really sorry I haven't updated anything.. I just wasn't motivated, and didn't feel good about them. Writing is stressful, it really is, but for the sake of the few people who're reading this, I'll try my best and update the fics._

 _I was in a competition, too, and that's why I never got a chance. So just know that. If you want me to continue this story, can you tell me? I just don't know if anyone's reading it anymore._

 _I'm really sorry,  
Ra _


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